For years, the field of robotics has used the terms “dull, dirty, and dangerous” (DDD) to describe the types of tasks or jobs where robots might be useful—by doing work that’s undesirable for people.

Elon Musk admitted on Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call today that the company doesn’t have any Optimus robots doing useful work in its factories right now. This is a striking admission, given that Musk ...

Robots are getting smarter, faster and more capable. But if you’re worried they’ll take your job anytime soon, you’re probably overestimating what they can actually do. The reality is this: robots ...

Hyundai reportedly plans to deploy over 25,000 Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robots across U.S. auto plants, starting at its ...

AI’s concealed labor has repeatedly led us to overestimate the technology. Humanoid robots are entering a similar phase. This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI.